LIV Golf CEO and commissioner Greg Norman is visiting Capitol Hill later this week to debate the brand new circuits plans and enterprise mannequin with lawmakers, a LIV Golf spokesperson confirmed to ESPN on Monday.
Norman, a two-time Open Championship winner, hopes to deal with some lawmakers considerations concerning the leagues controversial ties to Saudi Arabia, and the PGA Tours alleged efforts to stop it from turning into a legit rival for the perfect golfers on the earth.
LIV Golf is coming to the Hill this week to fulfill with lawmakers from each events, LIV Golf spokesperson Jonathan Grella informed ESPN in an announcement Monday. Given the PGA Tours makes an attempt to stifle our progress in reimagining the sport, we expect it is crucial to coach members on LIVs enterprise mannequin and counter the Tours anti-competitive efforts.
On Monday, Politico first reported Normans plans to journey to Washington.
Final week, Norman stated his upstart circuit, financed by Saudi Arabias Public Funding Fund, has no need to speak with the rival PGA Tour a couple of truce.
Norman stated he tried to speak to PGA Tour commissioner Jay Monahan up to now about attempting to determine how the leagues can coexist however is now not involved in doing so.
We have now little interest in sitting down with them, to be sincere with you, as a result of our product is working, Norman informed The Australian in an interview final week.
A number of previous main championship winners, together with Cameron Smith, Phil Mickelson, Dustin Johnson, Bryson DeChambeau and Patrick Reed, had been lured to the brand new circuit with signing bonuses reportedly price as a lot as $100 million to $200 million.
In a federal antitrust lawsuit filed in opposition to the PGA Tour in August, attorneys for LIV Golf and a handful of its gamers accused the PGA Tour of improperly suspending members for taking part in in LIV Golf tournaments. It additionally accused the PGA Tour of pressuring distributors, brokers, broadcast companions and sponsors to not work with LIV Golf.
The PGA Tour has denied the claims in a response to the lawsuit.
The U.S. Division of Justice has additionally opened an investigation into whether or not the PGA Tour is performing illegally as a monopoly, sources beforehand confirmed to ESPN.
LIV Golf has additionally been unable to get recognition from the Official World Golf Rating, which incorporates Monahan amongst its board members. The world rating standings are used to find out exemptions to the 4 main championships.
Smith, the third-ranked participant on the earth, received LIV Golfs fifth occasion, at Wealthy Harvest Farms outdoors Chicago, on Sunday.
Hopefully shut [to getting world ranking points], Smith informed reporters Sunday. I feel for all the blokes on the tour, it could imply loads to get world rating factors. I suppose theres loads on the road with the rating factors, stepping into majors, stuff like that. Yeah, there must be [a resolution] fairly quickly, I feel. The sphere right here is powerful sufficient and deep sufficient to the place it warrants that, and hopefully it is quickly.